Index device



June 28, 1932. LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS 1,865,057

INDEX DEVICE Original Filed Oct. 14, 1926 gwumtot Q lIeRazZffMfcizirgs m white, while in Patented June 2 8, 1932 UNITED sures 0mm REMINGTON RAND LE 1101 E. nu'rcnmos; or 'ronawaimn, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB TO INC, 01 BUFFALO, NEW YORK INDEX nn'vrcn cri' inai application 1110.1 October 14, 926, Serial no. 141,612. Divided and this aspiration med retreat? 5,1931. semu No. 513,752.

- This application is a division of my 00- has been shown red,but any other colors'inay pending application, Serial No. 141,612, filed October 14, 1926.

An'object ofthe invention'is' to provide an .5 index card which may be interconnected with similar cards to'form an, imbricated series, wherein the spacing obtained between ad acentexposed margins of adjacent cards is at a minimum. Such minimum spacing is obtained through a novel arrangement of slot and ear interconnection and is especially adapted for condensed indexes wherein one line of information on each card is desired.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawin forming a part of this specification, in whic Fig. 1 is a plan view of one surface of my improved index signal.

ig. 2 is a plan view similar to F1g. 1 of the opposite face of the s1gnal.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of a signal. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a series of articulated cards to which my improved si nals are applied. ig. 5 is a sectional view through a signal on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of a large number of types of record cards to which my improved signals may be applied.

Fig. 7 is an edge view of a slgnal of metal or other material coated with enamel, paint, etc.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 10 indicates the improved signal which may be constructed of any suitable material, such as metal, celluloid, cardboard and the llke. This material may be transparent or opaque, and said signal material may be composite in nature, such as metal with colored enamel on each side, a plurality of pieces of celluloid or other material cemented together, or paper cemented to celluloid, or other material, or the signal material may be all the same material and not composite in character.

One of the salient features is that if desired one surface of the index material may be of one color and the opposite surface of the material of a contrasting color. In Fig. 1, for example, one surface has been shown Fig. 2, the opposite surface possible for the signal to'gi've twice as many indications of the condition of accounts, reference data, etc., as if the material were of the same color on both surfaces. However, if so desired, the signal may be of the same color on both surfaces, and still be highly efficient as to number of indications due to further mechanical improvements to he hereinafter described.

The signal material is preferably formed into the desired shape by means of dies or punches so as to provide a plurality of struckout tongues 11 which may be slipped over the edge of a record card as shown in Figs. i and 5 so that the record card is confined between material. The improved index signal may have one of these tongues, or there maybe a plurality of tongues, and they may be further so constructed as to lie in radiating positions or other desired positions with respect to the center 13 of the signal. In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, four of these tongues have been shown as radiating from the common center 13, and these tongues thus lie at angles of ninety degrees one to the other. I

In order to further difierentiate the tongues and provide a greater nnr'nberat possible indications or symbols fora given signal, difie'rent tongues may be provided with differently shaped apertures such as a circle 14 in tongue 15, a triangle 1G in tongue 17 and a square 18 in tongue 19. The tongue 11' has been shown plain without an a erture. Thus as an example of the utility of this novel signal, in using the same for accounts receivable, if the four tongues 11, 15, 17 and 19 indicate different classes of credit rating, white surfaces exposed on a tongiie'woiild indicate first statement mailed to a customer, and a red surface exposed would indicate second statement mailed to the customer. *Inthis way the condition of a particular accounteould be enby the desired tongue of the signal;

able material, but in the preferred form it is construtedof two pieces oitranspareat be used if desired. This feature makes it i the tongue 11 andthe body 12 of the signal seen at a glance simply by the indication giv- The signal may be constructed at any saitieo celluloid, opaque cardboard or other suitable material of diflerent colors sealed together as shown in Fig. 3. If desired one layer of the composite signal material may be of opaque material such as paper, while the opposite surface may be of transparent celluloid or the material may be of a single material such as metal, with different colored t paints or enamels on the opposite faces as shown in Fig. 7 Regardless of the material or construction used it is desirable, but not essential, for one surface of the signal to be of one color and the opposite surface to be of another color.

Vhile my improved signal may be applied to the edge of any type of record or reference card, it is especially adapted to be applied to the edge of a record card such as shown in Fig. 6, which is adapted to be articulated or connected to a similar card by means of tongues 20 which engage in suitable apertures 21 formed in the body of said card 22. The apertures 21 may take the form of diagonal slots, and are so spaced that one edge of each of said cards is in overlapping visible relation to equivalent edges of other cards in the series, and the signals are especially adapted to be applied to said exposed or visible edges of the record cards.

The tongues 20 on the end card of the series may be inserted in suitable apertures or slots 23 in a panel 24, of cardboard, metal, or other suitable material so that the series of cards 22 is supported from the tongues on said end card of the series. It woud be seen that the signals may be instantly attached to or detached from record cards, and transferred from one card to another card, or applied to a given card so that another tongue is exposed, giving a different indication or signal. In the preferred form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, eight different indications or signals may be given by the index si nal simply by attaching the index signal to t e edge of the reference card 22 with the desired colored tongue exposed to View.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated examples constitute a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself precisely to the features herein illustrated and described, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

lVhat is claimed is 1. An index card comprising a sheet of material having notches in opposite ends to a provide a pair of tongues at one marginal edge, said sheet being formed with a diagonal opening adjacent each tongue extending inwardly on said card toward said marginal edge and spaced therefrom; the walls formed by each opening having a substantial parallelogramic relation, with the wall adjacent to said marginal edge, being arranged in parallelism to said edge; and a similar index card mounted on the first index card and having its tongues engaging in the openings of the first card, said adjacent and opposite walls of each opening in the first card slidably receiving the tongues of the last named card.

2. An index card comprising a sheet of material having notches in opposite ends providing a pair of tongues at one marginal edge, said sheet being formed with a diago nal opening adjacenteach tongue and extending inwardly toward said marginal edge in spaced relation thereto; the walls formed by each opening having a substantial parallelogramic relation, with the Wall adjacent said edge arranged in parallelism to said edge and in alignment with the lower wall of the tongue, whereby the tongues of a similar index card mounted on said first card extend throu 1 the openings therein and have portions ioth engaging said adjacent walls of the openings therein and the lower edge of the tongues.

LE ROI E. HUTCHINGS.

ILL 

